


Harry Potter, Martha, and The Doctor Meet On The Moon

by ItCouldAllBeForNothingTommorow



Series: Time Lord Harry Potter Met Martha First [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Harry Potter meets the Doctor, Harry got one, Harry met Martha first, I don’t know what to tag this, M/M, Multi, Time Lord Harry Potter, Work In Progress, harry needs a friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-12-27 07:31:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21115058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItCouldAllBeForNothingTommorow/pseuds/ItCouldAllBeForNothingTommorow
Summary: What if Martha was already someone else’s time traveling companion before she met the Doctor?ORTime Lord Harry Potter met and started traveling with Martha before the events of 3x02 Smith & Jones.  This is an AU retelling of that ep had this been the case following my fic The Price Of Escape.  It is less than 600 words if you haven’t read it but it does establish the premise of the AU which is Time Lord Harry Potter.





	1. Judoon On The Moon

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternative idea of how things could have gone after my fic The Price Of Escape.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. I’m just having fun. You may recognize dialogue which was taken from the episode to keep the integrity of things. I don’t own that either.
> 
> Also, Doctor Who has so much mythology and what is ‘canon’ varies depending on which medium you include and which narrators you choose to believe, which you view as unreliable, and what plot holes you want to ignore. I did my best when it came to Time Lords and Tardis based on what I could remember and source online but ultimately I went with what I felt worked best. In ‘canon’ there is a character known as the Other. There is stuff written about it him and theories (one of which is he’s actually secretly the Doctor). I hijacked the character a bit for my own uses and all you really need to know is (from my understanding) he’s meant to be one of the co-founders of the Time Lords.

“I wish you’d take this seriously."

Martha defended herself. “I just don’t think its worth making such a fuss about.”

“You would if you weren’t so happy all the time. Its like nothing gets to you anymore. Honestly since you met Harry,” Tish trailed off.

Unable to help it Martha found herself smiling, proving her sister’s point. To keep from saying something Tish would use against her Martha took a sip of her tea. 

Having gotten no denial Tish asked, “Did he take you out again last night?”

Martha’s thoughts flickered back to what for her sister was just hours gone but days for her.

***

Martha was only home minutes when there was a knock on her door. Opening it she found Harry with a wide smile on his face, holding two travel cups and a pastry bag.

“Is that what I think it is,” she asked, but having recognized the pattern on the cups Martha wasn't waiting on the answer. 

Reaching out she eagerly relieving him of the bag and the larger of the cups but that didn’t stop Harry from answering, “Fresh from that little shop next to the Orchards of Gelistain, one of their blossom lattes guaranteed to sooth and lift you body and soul, and a Clementine Crawler. No medicinal virtues-“

Already two sips into her latte and one bite into the crawler Martha interrupted to finish the words the owner said every time they ordered, “But it tastes so good that hardly matters.”

Moving away from the door she tilt her head for Harry to follow. He was always welcome but bless him he wasn’t one to take liberties. Not like Martha’s mother who thought since she had a key for emergencies she could just let herself in as she liked.

Closing the door behind him Harry asked, “How was work?”

“Better off forgotten,” Martha responded, flopping down on the couch.

“And the family? Loe’s party is tomorrow isn’t it? Then Tish’s thing the night after. Are they excited?”

Martha gave him a look that didn’t quite manage to hide her amusement. “Better off not talking about it.”

Settling onto the couch beside her Harry took a sip of his own drink. He looked plenty amused and wasn’t bothering to hide it. “That bad?”

“Isn’t it always?”

Diplomatically Harry responded, “You’re family is an… excitable lot.”

“Yeah, excitable,” Martha agreed, judging but with love.

“If you’re tired we could do something simple tonight? Grab a curry down the street then maybe do something in the morning if you’re up for it.”

And he meant that which Martha loved about him but there was no way she was accepting his offer. As nice as a simple meal with Harry could be Martha had spent all day looking forward to an adventure.

“No. Definitely not,” she said taking another sip as she got to her feet. She started heading back towards the bedroom as she assured, “My latte and a shower will see me sorted for whatever you’ve got planned. Whatever that might be,” she lead hoping he’d enlighten her, which he did.

“I was thinking we might go back, watch one of the first open heart surgeries,” that definitely had Martha’s interest, "then head to Atlantis for dinner?”

Pausing in the doorway she squinted back at him. “Which Atlantis?”

Harry squinted back, “Do you really want to know or would you rather be surprised?"

Later she discovered the Atlantis he had in mind was planet who’s entire surface was ocean with its cities built on the sea bed. Everything was beautiful and amazing and it turned out there was a runaway princess, two bank robbers, and shapeshifter all hiding out at the resort they decided on for dinner which resulted in the kind of absurd nonsense happening you had to be there to believe. By the time they left for home three days had passed. Three amazing, unforgettable days filled with the kind of things most people could only dream of but Martha, she lived it.

And the surgery before hand. That was history. That was one of the building blocks to the medicine Martha was learning to practice in her everyday and it had been a black Doctor taking that step. Watching it with a modern perspective was a bit hard because she knew how it could be done better and couldn’t intervene but still. Other students could only read the sterile accounts. Thanks to Harry she’d been there to see it.

Pulling herself out of her head Martha focused back on her phone call but as she wasn’t able to stop from smiling she couldn’t scold her sister properly, “I wish you wouldn’t say it like that. You know it wasn’t a date.”

“I can hear you smiling,” Tish threw back.

“We aren’t like that,” Martha reiterated. Her smile finally slipped off from having to admitted. 

Realizing she’d lead them towards a sore spot Tish went quiet for a beat. She and the rest of the family were convinced it was only a matter of time before Martha and Harry became ‘official’ but they didn’t know the whole story. Martha did. She knew odds were Harry would never see her like that. He was a friend, the best friend she’d ever had and Martha was doing her best to accept that as enough.

Veering the conversation back on course Tish broke her silence to ask, “Is he coming to Leo’s party?” 

“Should be. Unless something comes up.” Which was unlikely. One of benefits of time travel was being able to show up when promised even if something tried to get in the way. At least that’s how it was with Harry. He always made a point to keep his promises and appointments.

“Well, that’s something,” Tish said. “Maybe he can help run interference. Tell you what, I’m not far away. I’ll drop by for a sandwich and we can draw up a battle plan for the evening."

“In this weather? I’m not going out. It’s pouring,” Martha said cutting a look at the torrents of water moving down the window.

“It’s not raining here,” Tish said and Martha rolled her eyes. “That’s weird. It’s raining right on top of you, I can see it, but it’s dry where I am.”

“Well you just got lucky,” Martha dismissed.

“No, but it’s like in the cartoons. You know, when a man’s got a cloud over his head?”

Now, a few months back Martha would have ignored that but after traveling with Harry she’d learned to take note of anything out of the ordinary.

“What do you mean,” she asked. “Can you take a picture and send it too me.”

“Yeah. Yeah,” Tish confirmed.

Looking over her shoulder Martha recognized Mister Smith from rounds walking past. Pausing he looked over. Their eyes locked, and Martha got the tingles up her spine. Something about his exam had thrown Oliver and after his talk about Benjamin Franklin Martha agreed with Mister Stoker’s assessment that a visit from psychiatric was in order but that didn’t warrant the tingles so what was causing it.

With her worry mounting Martha’s eyes followed after Smith until a touch on her arm drew her attention to Julia. Through all their time together as fellow medical students Martha had never seen her friend so thrown.

“What is it,” she asked even as she followed Julia’s gaze to the window.

“The rain,” Julia said even as Tish asked, “Martha, have you seen the rain?”

Staring at it Martha answered, “I see it.” Her voice going firm she ordered, “Tish I’ll call you back but get me that picture.”

She was only just able to end the call before things went from worrying to alarming as the building shook so hard they were thrown about and to the floor. Bracing herself Martha worked to type out a simple text to Harry. Just three letters. SOS. She’d just managed the second S when whatever was happening came to a sudden halt. With her finger hovering over send she waited to see what would happen.

“Are you alright,” she and Julia asked checking in with each other at the same time. Martha smiled at her but Julia was too shook to see the humor in it.

“I am,” Martha confirmed. Getting up she made her way over to check on her friend. “Are you?”

She got a weak nod in response but Julia’s attention wasn’t really on her. 

“Martha,” she said confused by what she was seeing. “It’s night. But it was lunch time.”

With time travel as her first thought Martha turned to look out the window to check that they were just moved ahead or back to night and not a night in another decade or century. Only, what she saw out the window threw that theory, well, out the window.

“It's not night,” Martha said already bringing her phone to her ear as she hit the first contact in her speed dial.

“But its got to be,” Julia said getting up to look. “It’s dark.

Holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder Martha listened to it ring as she reached out to brace Julia who was she got to her feet, receptively moving to support her through the coming revelation.

“But that can’t be,” Julia said numb with shock.

As the call went to voicemail Martha quickly hung. As soon as she ended the call her phone rang causing Julia to startle at the sound. The screen said the call was from Trish and feeling awful about it Martha dismissed the call rather than answering so she could try Harry again.

“Your phone’s working,” Julia asked. Looking confused she took in the phone before slowly looking back out the window. “But…”

“Yeah,” Martha agreed rubbing her friend’s arm.

The phone rang twice before Martha heard the best thing she had all day.

“Hello,” Harry answered jovially. 

“Hi,” Martha managed to get out before Julia asked, “Your phone’s working?”

Feeling just a little bit exasperated with Julia’s shock Martha gave her another smile and continued to rub her arm. Her moments pause meant Harry had started off talking without realizing the nature of her call.

“This is a pleasant surprise. What’s the time?” Martha figured he was already checking his watch because right after he was saying, "Oh, is it your lunch break? Are you calling for some special order delivery or did you want me to come whisk you away for a bit?"

With Julia listening Martha couldn’t speak openly so had to rely on code. “Guess where I am?"

Like tires deflating everything light went out of Harry’s tone. “Where,” he asked as he took off running. Martha could hear it and knowing he was on his way, most likely to his Tardis helped her to feel better some.

“Would you think I’ve gone crazy if I told you the moon?"

Julia made a kind of whine and Martha brought her in for a one armed hug.

“Did I bring you there,” Harry asked, already thinking at a hundred miles an hours if Martha knew him, which she did.

“Nope.”

“Any idea what did?”

“The rain started going up, the building shook, then we looked outside and…” She gave the view a head tilt he couldn’t see but just like she knew him he knew her well enough to infer what she meant.

“I’m on my way. Don’t hang up,” Harry ordered meaning he couldn’t talk but he’d still have the phone near and an ear to it if something came up, and wanted her to do the same.

Martha nodded. Keeping her phone gripped in her hand she told Julia, “Come on,” and headed out into the halls. 

The safest thing to do would be to stay put but Martha wasn’t about to hide while there might be people she could help.

“Everyone. Stay calm. Sit or stand against the walls or in the stairwells. Just stay away from the windows until we know what’s going on,” she advised on repeat as she moved through the chaos of panicking people. She didn’t know if that was actually the best thing to do but more than once there’d been trouble with windows and space while she was traveling with Harry and so it seemed like the best advice she could offer. However going against her own word Martha made her way over to a large panel of windows which was offering one spectacular view of the moon and beyond it floating in the ‘sky’ was Earth.

Reaching out she made to open one of the windows. 

Lunging to stop her, Julia pleaded, “Don’t! We’ll loose all the air.”

“But I don’t think they’re what’s holding the air in,” Martha explained to her with forced calm. “They aren’t exactly airtight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away but it didn’t.”

“A very good point,” Mister Smith declared drawing back his curtain dramatically. Unlike everyone else he had enough wits about him to think to get out of his hospital wear and into street cloths. The sight of him with his easy posture sent more tingles up Martha’s spine, because that wasn’t normal and while normal didn’t always equal good and not normal didn’t always equal bad somehow the hospital had maybe been transported to the moon or they were all being tricked into thinking it was yet this man was calm enough to be getting dressed and giving out compliments. “Brilliant in fact. What was your name?”

“Jones,” Martha told him since he’d already heard that during their rounds. Her first name she kept to herself. Wanting to see how he’d react and wanting Harry to hear her thoughts over the phone, she said, “And I’ll do you one better. Since these windows aren’t air tight but we’re still breathing, and the moons gravity is different from Earth’s but every things still anchored normally, what are the odds we might still be on Earth, no matter how this looks.”

“Oh,” Mister Smith said looking more clearly impressed. “I like that. Wrong, but good thinking.”

Frowning at him Martha held her ground as he came forward for a closer look out the windows though he didn’t try opening them. After a cursory glance he asked, “Jones, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor or a veranda-“

“Patients’ lounge,” Martha answered.

Turning on her with an unsettling intense look Smith asked, “Fancy going out?”

Martha held his eye as she quickly weighed her options.

Turning to Julia she put a hand on her arm and told her firmly. “Go check on our oxygen supply. If this air is all we’ve got then we’re going to need it,” she said knowing the hospital couldn’t possibly have enough and that bringing it up might make Julia worry more but she hoped having a task and being reminded of those that needed her help would kick Julia into recovering from the shock.

Turning back to Mister Smith she told him, “This way,” getting a smile from him for her compliance in return. Heading off Martha tightened her grip around her phone which was still firmly in hand. Faintly she could hear the familiar clicks and flips of Harry bringing his Tardis into flight coming over the speaker.

As they came upon the large glass doors for the balcony off the Patients' Lounge Martha felt the air rush out of her at who she saw waiting for them. Pushing herself just a little bit faster she shoved open the doors.

“Harry,” she said as he turned to her.

“Martha,” he greeted with equal relief. He slipped a scanner into his pocket as he brought her into a hug which felt very nice but ended too soon as he quickly let her go to look her over. Martha took that moment to slip her phone into her pocket but as she hadn’t been told otherwise she left the call still going.

“Are you alright,” he asked.

“A bit ruffled,” she admitted.

“Well, not what you expect on you average work day.” 

She would have made a quip about it being more what she expected from her nights with him if it hadn’t been for Mister Smith who she could see loitering in her peripheral. Instead she held her tongue.

Making a show of just noticing Mister Smith, Harry greeted him. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Smith returned.

“Harry, Mister Smith. Mister Smith, Doctor Potter,” Martha introduced.

“Doctor Potter,” Smith repeated rather than greeted as he made his way to the railing with an eye on the easy way Harry kept one arm over Martha’s shoulder to keep her close to his side. 

“Aren’t there rules about fraternizing with students,” he asked sounding mostly curious but also just a little bit judging. Not judging enough to stay focused on them. Instead he started looking out at the view while Harry frowned with honest confusion.

“He means dating,” Martha explained to clue him in because for all his experience this was the one topic where Harry somehow regularly managed to be oblivious. “Which we’re not,” she felt the need to explain to Smith for some reason, "and even if we were Harry doesn’t work at the hospital.”

Looking back at them Smith gave Harry a curious looking over and asked, "But you're a medical Doctor?” 

“I have mixed specialties,” Harry supplied easily.

“Is that so,” Smith asked, lips pursed even as his eyebrow twitched upward. Intrigued, amused, or just trying to seem encouraging Martha couldn’t tell.

Turning away his attention was drawn out again to the view beyond the hospital.

Wanting to move things along Martha stated the obvious. “So we aren’t dead and we have air.”

“And a forcefield a few feet out,” Harry informed her.

“You already checked,” Smith asked.

Harry nodded.

Humming Smith looked around on the ground until he found a little something to toss to test for himself. As it hit the forcefield a small area around the impact became temporarily visible. Harry’s word was good enough for Martha but it was reassuring to see with her own eyes that there was something out there holding the air in.

“So, anyone have any thoughts as to what’s happening,” she asked really only interested in Harry’s opinion but his frown told her he only had a vague idea and nothing concrete he wanted to share with a stranger around.

Leaning against the wall Smith looked back at her. “What do you think?”

That was an easy enough thing to answer. “Extraterrestrial,” she said without a doubt and feeling no need to explain herself.

“And your guess, Doctor Potter,” Smith said enunciating the words Doctor and Potter in an odd way.

“I’m with Martha. First Big Ben, then Christmas, Canary Wharf, and Christmas again. We’re due for the next bit of spectacle.”

The way Harry worded that and something about standing there in the quasi calm made it hit Martha what was happening. Cause, she knew what Harry meant. She knew there were aliens and dangers and things happening on Earth all the time that the public never heard a word of let alone saw on the news but this, this wasn’t something hidden. This was something to be seen. Spectacle.

“Oh my god,” she said closing her eyes and bowing her head.

“What is it,” Harry asked while Mister Smith took a step forward to hover.

“Mom. The rest. They’re got to be…”

Reaching in her pocket Martha turned her phone over in her hand. She knew she couldn’t call them. There would be too many questions about how her call went through when no one else’s could but the idea of leaving them worrying as they watched the news? And Trish! Trish had been there. She’d seen the hospital go. Was she okay? What was the effect on the area when the hospital was taken?

Harry gave her a squeeze.

“Are you okay?” Surprising to Martha the question came from Mister Smith.

Martha held up her head. “Yes. It’s only… I had a cousin, Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf.” Martha shook her head trying to shake off the melancholy that wanted to sink in on her. “She never came home. With this happening, my families got to be going to pieces."

“I’m sorry,” Smith said.

“Yeah,” Martha accepted thinking this was nothing more than the casual sympathy she usually got.

But Smith was looking off into the distance with sad eyes and there was so much grief in his voice as he revealed, “I was there… In the battle, it was…"

“… Did you work for Torchwood,” Martha asked. When Smith turned on her with a hard look she explained apologetically, “It’s only, all of this, you don’t seem effected by it.”

“Neither do you,” he threw back. “Neither of you."

Not sure what to say Martha looked to Harry who had been giving Smith a measuring look.

“We’ve worked with Unit,” he revealed, handing over a small bit of truth. They both watched to see how Smith reacted to that name. All he did was raise an eyebrow.

“Are you legacies,” Smith asked, referring to those who came to work for Unit not by being scouted but because they already had clearance thanks to other people in their family already working there.

“What makes you say that,” Martha asked.

“You don’t really have the military barring.”

“I retired,” Harry informed him. “After, I worked hard to shed it off, move on. Thankfully Martha’s never had to know that life.” He didn’t give Smith time to comment on that. “What about you?”

Mister Smith turned to look down over at the ground then up at the hospital. Then focusing back on them he announced, “I’m the Doctor.”

Martha felt her heart skip a beat as Harry froze beside her.

The Doctor watched them for a fraction of a second to see the effect of that bombshell dropping before pacing around to the opposite side of the balcony to have a look over the edge from there.

Martha cut a look over to Harry who was still frozen, stiff as a board, and his face looking hard as all his emotions were buried down to stay concealed.

“As in the Time Lord,” Martha found herself asking. She managed to tear her eyes away from Harry to face Mister Smith who Martha refused to think of as the Doctor until they had proof he was the other Time Lord they had heard about.

Mister Smith, from where he’d paused leaning over the wall was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Slowly standing straight he said, “You’d have to have some pretty high clearance with in Unit to have heard that title. They don’t usually stick with “the Doctor” when discussing me with the lower ranks."

“Pretty high yeah,” Martha admitted already turning away from Smith to take in Harry. She was concerned by the hard blank look he was still wearing on his face. She reached up to take his hand. That was enough to begin shaking Harry out of things and bringing the life back to him. The first sign of it was he started blinking and breathing again.

Looking over at Smith she saw the way he was taking in Harry before he hid his interest.

Wanting to break the tension Martha suggested, “So, now that we know you know about things and you know about us,” and god she felt like an idiot when she realized exactly how ineloquently she’d phrased that. She turned to Harry. “What do you know?”

“Definitely on the moon and Unit’s setting up where the hospital should be,” he reported still looking at Smith. Breaking off his stare he turned to Martha and gave her a small smile. “Facial recognition will have picked up Tish. They’ll keep an eye on her. Try to get her to go home if they can.”

“Who’s Tish,” Smith asked curiously. 

“My sister,” Martha explained though she didn’t really want to. She preferred those involved with this side of her life who she didn’t completely trust not know anything about her personal life. “She was on the phone with me, looking at the hospital when everything happened."

“Were you all going out for lunch,” Smith asked with his lips funnily pursed as he fished for information.

Martha was confused as to why he was asking about ‘we’ until she remembered like a light bulb coming on that she’d told him Harry didn’t work in the hospital which meant he had no real reason to be there when all this happened. Which of course is why he hadn’t actually been. He’d come in his Tardis which would be cloaked and hiding until they had a better idea what was going on.

“Sandwiches,” Martha supplied, her lips thinning as they sometimes did when she was trying to deceive without lying. “We were supposed to go for sandwiches.”

Rather uncharacteristically not being helpful, Harry didn’t say a word. He only held on with a firm grip to Martha’s hand. Like a lifeline.

“...Right,” Smith said after observing them and the tension they were giving off for several moments.

Martha couldn’t begin to guess what he was making of their behavior and what conclusions he was drawing but she figured he had to be far off the mark.

Thankfully three giant spaceship passing just over the hospital provided an ample distraction.

As the landing gear deployed and the troops disembarked Martha asked, “Who?”

“Judoon,” Smith declared. His tone was not encouraging. 

Turning to Harry for answers what she saw in his expression wasn’t encouraging either.

“Not good,” Martha asked feeling resigned to a headache and possibly some heartache coming her way.

“Not good,” Harry and Smith said in tandem making them turn to look at each other over her head.

Harry was the first to break off away.

"We need to get to the PA system,” he announced. 

Using her hold on his hand Martha tugged him along behind her towards where he wanted to go. It was only when they came to a stop that she looked back and saw Smith had followed them.

Harry didn’t need any explanation as to how to operate the system. Speaking into the receiver his voice echoed through the halls of the hospital.

“Attention. Attention everyone. Please quiet down. We need your attention.”

He waited a moment to hear the halls near them quiet. 

“Thank you. I would like to assure you that word has come to us from Earth,” he lied or at least Martha thought it was a lie. Or not. Harry had come from Earth and was serving as a messenger of sorts. “As you have probably noticed we have some visitors coming in. We have been informed they are called the Judoon. They generally work as sort of police or bounty hunters. It is important everyone cooperate with them. Most importantly; Do. Not. Attack. I repeat, do not attack them or resist. The consequences of such action would be severe.”

Harry took a breath.

“To all Doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff. Our job right now is to continue providing our patients with the treatment they need while assuring they understand what has just been said. To everyone else, I know it may be hard but please, try to stay calm, stay quiet, and listen for any news or instruction from the PA. And again, do not attack or challenge these aliens in any way. I cannot stress this enough. Do not attack,” Harry said one last time.

Knowing it had to be bad for Harry to stress it so firmly, Martha asked, “What do they do if someone attacks?”

“As long as it was witnessed by another Judoon, they immediately execute the perpetrator. As they travel in their squads, there is always a witness,” Harry explained.

Martha paled. “What would you put the odds that in a hospital full of scared humans no one acts out?”

Harry and Smith both answered her with grave looks.

“Right,” Smith said changing his expression to something less grim. “Let’s go find out what they want then shall we?”

Off he went down the hall.

Looking over at Harry Martha watched him watch Smith go. He waited until there was some distance between them before starting them following. Pulling out a familiar syringe from his pocket Martha rolled up her sleeve for him to inject the tracker so Harry and his Tardis could still find her even if she lost her phone or had to plant it on someone else. The thing would stay inert in her system until triggered so it shouldn’t show up on scans to be removed if someone took her.

As he worked Harry explained, “The ships parked just inside the doors from the balcony.”

“Yeah, I thought I spotted a new closet,” she revealed said.

Harry’s smile told Martha she was right. “Try to get to her if there’s a problem but if you need to summon her, then do it. If your life is in danger or someone else’s-"

“We’ll worry about the repercussions later and I shouldn’t hesitate. I know,” Martha assured him.

Harry nodded jerkily. Martha tried to give him a reassuring smile. This wasn’t the first time they’d been in a bad spot but knowing Martha had proven capable of handling herself didn’t help Harry. He’d known hundreds if not thousands of competent people in his long life and seen many of them die. It left him prone to being anxious about the safety of those around him.

Slipping the empty syringe back into his pocket Harry pulled out a small but bulky disk looking bit of tec along with what looked like a lazer pointer but Martha knew was a stunner, both of which he slipped into the pocket of her lab coat.

“The disc helps to block the way between you and trouble. Hold it up, activation buttons in the middle, and a shield will activate. It works better in conjunction with a physical barrier. Best thing you can do is attach it to a door then activate. It won’t stop anyone or anything forever but when activated it will deadlock so they shouldn’t be able to shut it down and that should buy you time.”

“As long as there isn’t another door,” Martha pointed out.

Harry tilt his head. “Or a window. Or if they are small enough to get through a vent."

“Right, so use it but don’t fool myself into thinking that means I’m safe,” Martha reasoned. “Do we have a plan for handling the air?”

“Worse comes to worse we can connect the Tardis to the hospital’s ventilation.”

“Can she handle a building this big with this many people?”

Harry gave her a look showing he was clearly insulted on his ship’s behalf. 

Martha rolled her eyes. “It’s a valid question."

Waiting at the door leading out of the stairwell the Doctor was taking them in pensively. Once he had their attention he urged them to go faster. Thankfully they were headed down and not up making the run between floors to their destination a bit easier. 

As they came out on the first floor Harry reminded her, “No getting killed.”

“Same to you,” she warned him. “You’re my date to the party tonight. No way am I going into that without backup.”

She turned, smirking at him and found Harry turning to smile back.

Martha wasn’t exactly expecting them to take up position at the door as emissaries but she hadn’t at all thought they’d be sulking about from above spying down on while those completely without experience with aliens had to handle first contact, and it was no gentle inauguration. The Judoon had no care about escalating tensions or acting with blatant aggression as they forced people about. They moved like invading forces, marching in to make war and despite Harry’s warnings it had people panicking and screaming as they tried to run or hide.

"Don’t these brutes get any training on dealing with people,” Martha asked as yet another person was shoved about.

“Yes,” Harry answered but his tone provided no comfort.

“They’re about to assimilate the language, make it so they can translate to english,” Harry explained as one of the Jodunn thrust Oliver up against the wall. Martha expected something more but it seemed all they needed were a few words to have translation up and running.

Martha looked down on them incredulously. “Why didn’t they bother doing that before coming in? Couldn’t they have just picked up radio waves or our tv signals to get what they needed?”

“Yes,” Smith answered, looking at her. His expression openly showed his own judgement.

“Then why didn’t they?”

He pulled a face. “They’re a bit thick.”

“Wonderful,” Martha said slowly turning back to the Judoon.

Carefully crouched Smith moved around to a new spot for a look with them following.

“Ah, look down there. You're got a little shop. I love a little shop,” Smith said seeming genuinely completely thrilled with that.

Martha looked at him in disbelief before dismissively turning away to ask Harry. “What are they doing?”

“Scanning. Making sure everyone’s human,” he explained.

“But why would they be doing that?”

“Because they’re looking for a non-human,” Smith said. “And that’s a problem for me.”

Martha only spared him a glance before looking back to Harry. It would be a problem for him as well but Harry tapped his forefinger finger on the knuckle of his thumb twice and Martha relaxed some. 

One of their first trips had been a few hundred years into the future of the human race for dinner and a show. Through out the play the protagonist kept making a show of tapping her finger to her thumb. At first Martha thought she was trying to form the okay sign and was messing it up but as the actress went on doing the same several times over she realized it was intentional. The gesture obviously had meaning to the other characters and no one else in the audience seemed confused but Martha was lost.

Pulling out a paper and pen Harry had written her a quick message to explain. “Double tap to the knuckle = finger to the side of your nose… basically.”

They’d been using it to signal her ever since.

“Come on,” Smith prompted them.

Reaching out Harry took hold of Martha’s forearm to help her up out of her crouch and they followed.

“So if they’re police and they’re looking for a non-human,” Martha said thinking it over. She looked to Harry. “Is this like what they did to Neil?”

“What happened to Neil,” Smith asked sounding genuinely curious.

Martha looked to Harry who looked back at her encouragingly, allowing her to explain.

“Neil had this sort of immunity so long as he stayed out of a certain area but the Glasz sort of kidnapped him to put Neil in their jurisdiction.”

“Are these characters we’re talking about?”

“No. They're real. We helped Neil escape,” Martha reported.

Smith frowned at the pair of them. “Humans were they?”

“No,” Martha denied blithely before turning to Harry. “So, is it like Neil? Did they bring us here to get us away from Earth? Get us on our own. Or is it about them staying safe?”

“What do you mean,” Smith asked forcing her attention back.

With a huff she explained, “Well, its not like with us as hostages Torchwood or whoever can shoot them down like they did the Sycorax, but if they tried to land on Earth to get to the hospital...”

“Oh, good thinking,” Smith said smiling and once again very clearly impressed.

Martha felt herself blushing despite herself. “You don’t need to say that like you’re shocked. You have to think humans are worth something or you wouldn’t take so many as companions.” If he was who he claimed to be that is. If he was indeed the Doctor, cause she’d seen the files and been with Harry when he went hunting down those former companions who were still around.

Still smiling the maybe Doctor, Smith said, “Oh yes. Humans are amazing.” He pulled a face as he teased. “Sometimes a bit dim though.”

Martha gave him a look and pointedly yet again turned to Harry instead of him. “So what do you think? Why’d they bring us up here?”

“I think you got a bit right the first time,” Harry said to her then his eyes cut to Mister Smith, “because as far as I know they don’t have authority to operate on Earth"

Nodding Smith agree. “Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they’ve got no jurisdiction over the Earth. That rain. The lightning? That was them using an H2O scoop. Isolate the hospital. Bring it up? They have reign to proceed."

“Without fear of being shot at,” Martha tacked on cause she was certain that had to be on their mind at least a little. Even Harry had been impressed with the weapon Torchwood displayed. Then Martha had a thought, “Can our weapons reach the moon?”

“Yes,” Harry answered readily.

“… Its sad I’m now more worried now than comforted.”

Mister Smith gave a wide slightly condescending grin. “Oh the virtues of the human race."

Martha squinted at him.

Wherever the Doctor intended for them to go Harry had his own plan in mind. They’d come across another hub where they could access to the PA system. Veering off he went to make another announcement.

“Attention everyone. Human and not,” Harry stressed, “And yes I’m including all Judoon in this.”

Smith who’d been eyeing the halls looked over at him with an expression that pleaded for caution but Harry who was staring off didn’t see it. He proceeded as he liked. His tone was commanding. Right now Harry had that look about him Martha so rarely got to see. The look of a man who’d led soldiers, armies, entire governments and he would be listened too.

“To the Judoon forces and commanders specifically. You have kidnapped a hospital full of people. While we understand you have your reasons you will act accordingly. This is a Green Moon Facility. Many of those here are suffering with physical or mental ailments. You will be considerate of that. Those in the white lab coats are our Doctors. You will not forcibly move anyone without first confirming with our Doctor’s that they can be moved. If they say no, you will not act. The Shadow Proclamation has already been sent word of what is happening here. You are being watched and any misconduct will be reported.”

Harry paused to let that digest.

A now frowning Mister Smith was looking at Harry more than mildly disapproving. While wondering what he wasn’t happy about Martha asked, “Think that will make them act a bit more considerately?”

"They better,” Harry said just to her. Over the PA he continued. “As for the rest of us, as stated earlier. Cooperation is vital. The Judoon have a job to do and the faster its done, the sooner we all get home. They’ll be working their way through the hospital checking that everyone here is human. They will scan you. It’s safer than an x-ray. Once its done they’ll mark you as human. Its just as safe. All you need to do is to be patient, stay calm, and stay where you are. No need to queue up. Just stay where you are and let them come to you. If you can do that, we should be home within the hour. Keep calm and expect further word if anything changes.”

With that Harry ended his speech.

“Nicely done,” Martha complemented. “But did you really send a report?”

“Hospital of people taken without warning? I sent a report,” Harry assured.

“Maybe not the best idea,” Smith said. When both Martha and Harry looked at him questioningly he went on, “Earth’s only a level five planet. Not the best idea to draw further attention to yourselves. You already have more attention than you can handle.”

Harry actually snorted and rolled his eyes something Martha had almost never seen. “The laws are there for a reason. You may not see it Doctor but Earth needs all the help we can get. You may be here for the big battles and the fun stuff, but then you go. It’s been a long time since you bothered staying in one place long enough to really see all the ripples, all the effects events like these have.”

“I’m sorry,” the Doctor said incredulously, seeming a little insulted by Harry’s daring to censure him. 

Ignoring the intent behind those words, Harry countered, “You should be.” 

The Doctor- Smith’s jaw actually dropped but he did manage to keep his lips together so he wasn’t gaping as Harry went on, gaining steam.

"You come in, you save the day by whatever means necessary, and then you leave. Leaving the loose ends and uncertainties. Leaving the mess and the fallout. Leaving the trauma. Just to give you one very recent and rather spectacular example, Christmas last. You found a hole leading down to the center of the planet, drained the River Thames into it, and pop! Gone within a quarter hour. You didn’t even bother to report it to anyone or explain, let alone call ahead with a warning! You have the numbers or at least you should have. And I know you have a cellphone,” Harry declared, his finger leveled on the Doctor's face.

Martha and the Doctor both were leaning back slightly from his temper.

Cutting a glance at that finger the Doctor tried, “Well,” but the outraged look Harry gave him for have the audacity to start his defense with ‘well’ shut him right up.

Glaring harder Harry hit the Doctor with another one. 

“And the Christmas before that. Harriet Jones blew up an entire ship because she thought the only force who would stand with Earth was you, and you couldn't be relied upon. She’d just gone through a day thinking a huge portion of the human population could be killed all because some aliens got a bit of blood. She’d witnessed men be killed right in front of her for daring to speak,” Harry said so earnestly due to his sympathy for the former Prime Minister.

He took a breath before continuing.

"Bringing up those like the Shadow Proclamation, putting in a greater deterrent along with yourself would have been all the security such a law abiding woman needed not to act rashly in that way. Instead you spoke of all the threats out in the stars and all the attention Earth was getting, stoking her fear.

“I didn’t know,” the Doctor said with his teeth bared.

“Precisely,” Harry agreed. “You didn’t, but looking back you have to acknowledge, however unknowingly, the part you played in bringing her to make that call.”

The Doctor could say nothing. 

They stared at each other. 

Harry continued.

“She made the call. She chose to kill and you lost all respect for her because you could see what she couldn’t, that they were no longer a threat. But how was she to know that? To really believe it? She did what she felt was best given the limited perspective she as a human of Earth possessed, driven by a desire to protect, and you treated her just as you did the Sycorax Leader. No second chances. Acting in anger and without taking the time to consider it you brought her down with just six words. Six words forming a sentiment that only had as much power as it did because of her sex and age, reinforcing stereotypes and prejudices her success as Minister had been helping to dissolve.”

Harry stared at the Doctor. He was angry yes but also pained, full of so much sympathy for all the repercussions of that day and not just those faced by Harriet Jones. Martha knew he had sympathy for the Doctor too. They’d talked about it as Harry discovered more and more about the Doctor’s past. Harry knew what it was to do harm when you were only trying to help. He knew how hard that could be to face up to but still he persisted in holding a mirror to the Doctor.

“And was it worth it? Are things better for those six little words? Or doesn't that matter? Is your punishing someone you judged to be guilty more important than the repercussions?”

The Doctor's face was set in stone but his eyes? In his eyes Martha could see Harry was getting to him.

“It all came to an end,” Harry said. “Britain’s new golden age. You brought it all down just like you said you could. But, oh, then Doctor, things so quickly started sliding back as that good was unraveled. Do you even know who took her place? Do you know what kind of opportunist came after Earth trying to take that seat? Tell me Doctor, who’s come into power now that you got rid of Harriet Jones?”

The Doctor couldn’t answer because it was obvious he didn’t know.

Nodding, all the last bit of fight and anger went out of Harry but he still spoke with as much passion as before. “You’re brilliant. You are Doctor. You are brilliant and commendable to care, to go on trying to help, and for going on fighting for others the way you do. To have been through as much as you have and still have the drive? It’s impressive. It’s inspiring. Earth is lucky to have you. Truly. But you’re not perfect and for all a Time Lord’s gifts you’re not omnipotent. You’re Earth’s greatest campion, but the human race needs more than one man, however impressive he may be. And when a bunch of intergalactic thugs show up, whether you are here or not, we have a right to report it to the authorities they report to in order to get the support and aid we’re owed.”

The Doctor was just standing and staring at Harry, looking like a stiff breeze might blow him over. 

Martha was trying to keep from showing how much she was loving it. Harry may not have reveled in putting others in their place but she secretly loved seeing him do it.

Sighing Harry looked around to check the space around them. Closing that subject, he brought them back to what was happen. “Hopefully if that announcement did all it was intended to the humans will stay calm, the Judoon will exercise some restraint, and any other non-humans in the building latched on to the fact that they are in danger."

“Other non-humans,” Martha said having only just thought of that. Those living on or visiting Earth weren’t likely to come to the hospital for treatment, they weren’t as brazen as Smith -who given how Harry was acting was mostly likely indeed the Doctor- but aliens made friends on Earth, partners, families. Those might end up in the hospital and then they’d come to visit. Feeling worried for them and the two aliens with her Martha asked, “But the Judoon would check wouldn’t they? They’d check they got the right non-human, not just go with anyone who raises a red flag.”

Harry and the Doctor shared a look.

“They're a bit thick,” the Doctor reminded her.

Martha took a moment to digest that. 

“Hang on,” she said. “If we warned the bystanders we warned whoever they’re looking for too.”

“To warrant this many Judoon they most likely knew someone was after them. They’ve probably been preparing since the hospital moved.”

“Preparing how?”

“What would you do,” Harry asked.

Martha thought about what Harry had handed over her as soon as he had a chance to do it discreetly. The tracker, the stunner, and the disk.

She held his eye. “Look for a way to defend myself. Looking for a way out. If I could find that, find somewhere to hide.”

Harry nodded.

“Yes,” the Doctor agree, his voice not covering the sound of newly arrived Judoon stomping down the hall. He went on talking while they moved for the closest stairwell and from there the higher levels. “Getting outs not likely. The Judoon would have put in the effort of blocking teleportation if they thought their target had access to technology like that. Wouldn’t due to bring up a hospital full of suspects to the moon just for the one their after to send themselves right back.”

Martha knew better than to interrupt to ask how he knew they hadn’t blocked teleports. There was probably many ways to tell and as Harry wasn’t correcting him she assumed the Doctor had the right of it.

“If they try bringing in a ship it would be shot down getting here, and if they have it here and try to leave, same result.”

“So they can’t leave,” Martha said. “Then they’ll be looking to hide?”

“Hiding will only protect them for so long,” Harry reasoned. “The Judoon aren’t ones to give up. They’ll keep looking, intensifying the search as they go. If who they’re looking for is actually here and they don’t have something clever up their sleeve, they’ll have to fight. If they’re the type to do that and have worked this all out they have a hospitals full of equipment that could be weaponized."

“So what do we do?”

“Find them,” the Doctor said with a mad excited smile.

Martha was trying very hard to convince herself that stupid smile on his face was only exasperating and not at all attractive. Not one bit. No.

As the Doctor burst through the door and onto a new floor Martha followed after without looking back to Harry.

Resting at the door Harry remained behind for a second to watch them go. He took in the woman he’d grown to call a friend and the man, the legend, the Doctor. Many of the accounts Harry’d heard were making more sense. The Doctor had charisma, an energy that drew you in, but he drew danger in as well and was dangerous in his own right. Harry wouldn’t be forgetting that. People around the Doctor tended to die and as much as he brought salvation he also sowed new troubles. Until Harry had a better understanding of the man he was going to remain cautious and try his best not to get attached.

As he watched the pair he found himself hoping that while he was trying to gain understanding, Martha didn’t get drawn in too deep and burn.

When they disappeared around the corner Harry finally started following after them. As he walked a voice that wasn’t his came over the system. 

“Attention all. The Judoon are currently… cataloguing as they call it on the second and third floor. Remember what we’ve been told. Sit tight, stay calm, and just let them get it done so we can all go home.”

Harry smiled, happy that someone had taken the initiative to give that announcement. Hopefully being informed would help keep people calm. So long as no idiot got on there screaming and panicking and giving bad advice. Harry’s smile turned into a frown which was still there as he followed the Doctor and Martha into the room they’d disappeared into. There he found Martha watching as the Doctor focused his sonic screwdriver on one of the computers.

“What’s wrong with, this computer,” the Doctor said giving it a swat. Giving up he declared, “The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon on the moon.”

Leaning against the door jam Harry decided it was time to get started on his own plans for identifying any non-humans. He went digging in his many expanded pockets looking for the bit of tec he wanted while listening with half an ear to the Doctor’s ramblings.

"Because I was just traveling past. I swear, I was just wandering. I wasn’t looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn’t.”

Harry made a face at the Doctor for saying something that made him sound so incredibly guilty but it didn't last as he finally found what he was looking for. Flipping open the outer shell he went in to fiddle with the internal bits while the Doctor went on talking without paying Harry really any notice at all.

Absently Harry noted the Doctor fidgeted but he wondered if at the moment there wasn’t a self comforting element to his actions as the Doctor touched his face and ran fingers through his hair while avoiding eye contact as he talked or maybe, Harry considered a bit more cynically that the Doctor was avoiding eye contact because he didn’t care enough to make it though there were thousands of possibilities in-between to explain his behavior and unfortunately the minds of Time Lords were very good at analyzing possibilities. Harry rather missed having a human brain limited, though they were. Life was much simpler when you had less computing power. So much computing power in fact that Harry was able to think about all of this, while fiddling with his device, and not miss a word the Doctor said while having room in his head to think about and worry over a number of other things.

“But I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that’s a plasma coil. Been building up for two days now, so I checked in. I thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above.”

“The Judoon who were hiding behind the moon,” Harry added, drawing attention his way.

“What are you doing,” the Doctor asked.

Martha lit up. “Hold on! I recognize that. Its an empathic circuit right. Helps you do your physic thing to tap into the emotions around you.”

“Yay,” Harry agreed. Of course the name was misleading as was that description as while it was primarily focused on emotions the circuit did help boost his ability to hunt out thoughts and memories if he was looking to get at them. “And with a little adapting it should help me get a basic idea for the kind of person giving off those emotions.”

“Like if someone's not human,” Martha enthused.

Smiling softly at her Harry agreed. “Just so.”

From his seat the Doctor had been using his sonic to scan Harry’s circuit. Apparently satisfied he leaned back in his chair. “It takes a physic of some power to make any use out of one of those. You don’t typically find any of that caliber among humans of this time. Not with a natural born talent at least."

Keeping his head down towards his work Harry looked up through his lashes. “I never said I was from this time.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Time travelers,” he asked looking between Harry and Martha but Martha held up her hands as though to say, ‘not me.'

Focusing back in on Harry the Doctor asked, “From what century?”

“I’ve lived too many places for anywhere to really be home,” Harry admitted sadly.

“But you’ve ended up on Earth, here, now, at this hospital just as it was taken. That’s very convenient."

“Are you always this suspicious,” Martha asked.

“Sometimes,” the Doctor answered not taking his eyes off Harry who, feeling no need to defend himself, was focused back down on his work.

“Done," he declared, closing everything up. Once it was set to rights the circuit looked something like a horseshoe or a neck pillow which was appropriate given as it was meant to be warn around the neck. As he slipped it on the lights blinked to life showing it was connected to him and working. Not that Harry needed the lights. It was impossible to miss the effect the machine had on his physic perception. It would take a few moments to adjust to the new slew of input he was getting and a few minutes more to fully acclimatize.

“Are you okay,” Martha asked.

“There’s a lot of fear permeating the hospital… It’s a bit much, but I can handle it.” Harry took a deep breath before forcing a smile. “There,” he lied, “All sorted. Now hopefully even if the person we’re looking for is a shape changer I’ll still be able to feel that something is off.”

“Shapeshifter,” Martha asked. "Why are we thinking shapeshifter?”

“Might not be a shapeshifter,” the Doctor conceded. “Might be plastic surgery or something else. Whichever way, the Jotunn have it figured that whatever they are looking for is in the hospital but they’re still having to scan everyone.”

Martha thought she got what she was missing. “And if they could just use a photo they’d be disseminating it."

“Unless they were too thick to imagine they could use everyone to help,” Harry said distractedly. He was eyeing the Doctor with the most peculiar expression Martha had ever seen on his face.

“What,” the Doctor asked.

“Just… Not the emotions I was expecting to get off you.”

The Doctor frowned as though he’d only just realized Harry would be picking up on their emotions as well as everyone else’s. It made Martha feel a little skip in her step to have gotten something before him instead of trailing behind. From the second she noticed what Harry had she’d been trying to settle herself so she wouldn’t go feeling or thinking anything she didn’t want shared around.

“Right.” The Doctor cleared his throat, and turned back to the computer. He started typing but almost immediate the screen blinked out as something alien took over.

“Oh,” the Doctor shouted with outrage. "You see, they’re thick! They’re completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that’s clever.”

And again Harry noted the Doctor touching himself, hands in his hair. Now that he had the empathy circuit he could feel the emotions motivating it.

“What are we looking for,” Martha asked.

“I don’t know. Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms.” The Doctor, suddenly inspired lunged towards the computer and began picking it up. "Maybe there’s a back up.”

“If they’re a shapeshifter knowing who they were might not help us much. And even if they aren’t. It's not like people have stayed to their beds,” Harry said.

The Doctor frowned at him as he continued with his examination of the computers hardware now that the Judoon had taken away his ability to try making use of its data. “What do you suggest?”

“A scan for alien tec might be worth it. It could at least get us an idea who we might be dealing with and where they might be. Enough of an idea as to get this,” he tapped the device around his neck, “in range.”

The Doctor was still frowning.

“I could try asking around about unusual patients,” Martha suggested wanting to broker peace. Already moving towards the door she explained, “Just to make sure we check every box. I could ask Mister Stoker? He might know."

“Not without me you don’t,” Harry said falling into step behind her and pulling the door shut to seal the Doctor in for some privacy as he went.

Martha looked back to make sure the Doctor wasn’t following before asking Harry, “You think it's really him don’t you? That he’s really the Doctor.”

“Do you,” he asked her instead of answering.

“I do," she confirmed. 

“Then you are probably right,” Harry said straight faced. “You usually are.”

Martha turned smiling at him and Harry smiled back. It felt good to smile. It felt good to have companionship from someone who could make him smile so readily. Before finding Martha Harry’s smiles had been rare and often disingenuous. Finding out about the loss of Gallifrey and coming to understand what the true cost of his freedom had been was a blow that perhaps Harry would never fully recover from. Martha helped. Being back on Earth, his first home even if it was a different version helped.

They were just outside Mister Stoker’s office when Harry held out a hand to stop Martha. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a marker and paper to share his warning without risking it being over heard by whatever was inside that office with possibly very good ears.

“1 non-h,” he wrote quickly and pointed to the door.

Martha’s eyes went wide. Grabbing the marker she left the paper in Harry’s hand for support while she wrote, “STOKER?” and underlined it.

Harry shrugged.

Martha blinked at the door as she imagined the possibilities.

Moving her slightly behind him Harry mouthed at her, “Laser pointer."

Nodding Martha reached into her pocket for the stunner and using Harry’s body to block the view of her hand kept it hidden from sight of whoever might be on the other side of that door.

After a quick knock Harry opened the door. Even though he was blocking some of her view Martha could see as clearly as him the two biker looking types standing around unreacting and a pair of still legs sticking out from behind the desk. Then there was an odd sucking sound coming from about where the head of the body attacked to those legs should be.

“I thought you said one,” Martha mumbled under her breath as her eyes tracked to the three bodies in the room.

Abruptly the sucking cut off as a someone sat up revealing herself from where she’d been hidden behind the desk. The bloody straw between her lips added an ominous meaning to that sucking sound.

Reacting Martha raised her weapon on the woman just as she shouted, “Kill them!”

The stunner shot through the air and hit the sucker square in the face as soon as she’d finished the words and down she went back behind the desk. Martha tried moving to target the next but Harry messed up her aim by trying to force her back. 

“What,” she asked even as she fired again

“It's not going to work,” he said but Martha could already see that as the biker was hit dead center but was still coming at them.

Eyes widening in fear Martha gave in to Harry’s direction and turned to run. She didn’t notice Harry’s hand slipping into her pocket as he pushed her along.


	2. Things To Do On The Moon

Martha only just made it out the door of Stroker’s office when she collided with the Doctor who was running towards them.

“I restored the back up,” he announced.

“And we found her,” Martha reported.

“You did what,” the Doctor asked in surprise.

Martha looked back at the office and the Doctor turned to look with her only for them both to find Harry leaning against the door. Beside him the disk he’d given her earlier had been attached in the center with a glowing green light shining away where it connected to said door which Martha took to mean it was activated.

“In there,” Harry said tilting his head back into the office causing it to thump against the door. That thump was Immediately followed by the load thud of something much bigger colliding on the other side but despite the noise of the impact Martha didn’t see the door so much as shutter.

Breathing out a sigh of relief she relaxed some. 

“Why didn’t the stunner work,” she asked Harry.

"What stunner,” the Doctor asked his voice still higher pitched with surprise. 

They both took a half a step back as their was two consecutive load thuds on the door but Harry remained where he was.

“This stunner,” Martha said holding up her hand which held the stunner.

Plucking it free the Doctor used his sonic to start scanning it over. Martha wasn’t much bothered as she was more interested on getting answers from Harry who tapped at the empathic circuit around his neck as he answered. “I only registered one remember? There’s the sucker-“

Martha grimaced at the descriptive and supplied, “Miss Finnegan.”

“Right. Then a dead body, no signal to pick up,” he revealed looking apologetic for having to break that news to Martha.

There were two more consecutive thuds against the door.

“And those two,” Martha asked.

“What two,” the Doctor said cutting in just before there were another two thumps.

“Two slabs and give that back to Martha,” Harry reprimanded.

Looking over Martha saw the Doctor had been about to pocket her stunner. Looking down at his hand it seemed the Doctor had only just realized what he was about to do as well.

“Sorry,” he said guilty as he handed it over. And no, his guilty expression was not at all mildly adorable. No, it was ridiculous on a man his age, both the one he looked by human standards and the one he actually was. Martha was not being charmed by it. She refused. 

Pursing her lips Martha took her stunner and turned back to Harry who was looking at her with his face all open with surprise. Eyebrows up. Eyes wide. Jaw a little slack. Then his lips curled up in a little smile and he brought one eyebrow down to leave the other up. Martha was at a loss as to what was going on with him until his eyes cut to the Doctor then back to her in a way that said, ‘Oh! Him. Really,’ with a sort of mischievous delight.

Eyes cutting down to the circuit still glowing around Harry’s neck Martha blushed hotly as she realized what Harry had picked up from her.

Feeling more than embarrassed but not quite mortified which Harry would be picking up on as well, Martha crossed her arms and ground out, “What are slabs?”

“Slabs. Basic slave drones,” the Doctor explained followed by another two thumps. 

“What are these ones made of,” he asked coming forward to examine the door and the tec keeping it in tact.

“Leather,” Harry answered.

“Someone has got a hell of a fetish,” the Doctor commented.

Harry pursed his lips and gave the Doctor a look that said he was not impressed with that comment.

The Doctor held up his sonic and gave it a little wiggle. Tilting his head towards the disc on the door he asked, “Is it all right if I,” he concluded with the lifting of his eyebrows in a sort of questioning motion.

Harry nodded that it was alright for him to scan it over but Martha couldn’t help but worry the Doctor might accidentally shut their protection down.

“How long until they think to try the window or the wall instead of the door,” Martha asked. 

“Oh this is beautiful,” the Doctor enthused. While continuing to look over the device and the door he rambled off his findings and speculations but other than sparing him a glance Harry and Martha ignored it.

“They are linked to Finnegan,” Harry explained, answering Martha’s inquiry. "Most of their reasoning ability comes from her. With her unconscious she can’t maintain the link. Relying on there wits alone they probably won’t be able to come up with anything else to do but to keep banging on the door.”

“This is beautiful. Never seen another like it,” the Doctor exclaimed slipping his sonic into his pocket. Reaching up he caressed the device with a gentle hand. “Where did it come from?”

Trying not to pay to much attention to how that looked and what it made Martha want to think about she asked Harry, “How do you know?"

“I picked it up from her head,” he told her then turning to the Doctor he explained, “And I made it, out of scraps I had lying around.”

“Could you make me one,” the Doctor asked hopefully with his fingertips still brushing over the metal casing of the device. One circling around the button in the middle.

Swallowing Martha rolled her eyes. “Right, well if you could stop molesting that. It has work to do and so do we,” she said to the Doctor making him turn around looking innocently confused in a way she wasn’t sure she bought especially given how Harry was smirking at him, 

“Right,” the Doctor said his voice still a bit high. He cleared his throat and tried again this time at a slightly lower register. “Right, so, you said she was unconscious, the one controlling the slabs.”

“Was,” Harry agreed. He tapped his empathy circuit and confirmed, “Still is. Though… she’s coming around faster than most would. Maybe because she just had a meal? Got a boost?"

“Had a meal” the Doctor asked.

“She’s like a vampire,” Martha explained. “She was sucking Mister Stoker’s blood, through a straw.”

She and the Doctor both made a face at that.

“Right now the slabs are our problem not her,” Harry said rummaging through his pockets. “They’ll be easier to deal with while she’s still out and she’ll be easier to deal with without them.”

“Why the blood though,” the Doctor asked preoccupied. “Funny time to take a snack. Unless… No,” his face contorting through a series of almost comical expressions as he worked his way to and through his Eureka moment. "Yes, that's I- Wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it."

The Doctor turned to look at the door as though he could see through it to the woman on the other side. He stalked forward almost like he wanted to throw open the doors to get at her on the other side, to find out if he was right.

"If she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the biology, she'll register as human.”

“Wonderful, a likely plasmavore,” Harry said sarcastically. “Good to know, but first things first, the slabs Doctor. Have you got anything that can deal with those?”

Blinking away the fire that had flared up with his discovery the Doctor started checking his pockets.

“I’m afraid not,” he admitted even though he was still checking his pockets.

“Then go find something,” Harry told him.

Nodding, the Doctor reached out without seeming to pay it much thought grabbed Martha’s hand to pull her along as he ordered, “Come on!”

Martha looked back at Harry as she was stumbling followed. She could see his worry and that he wanted to follow after but when he stepped away from the door the slabs slammed against it again reminding him that someone needed to stay behind, just in case. Martha tried to give him a look that would convey that she would be okay and not to worry but it didn’t seem to make a difference. Turning around Martha focused on moving ahead.

“What do we need,” she asked the Doctor.

“Equipment,” he threw out. 

Gripping his hand back Martha turned him off down one of the halls, “This way.”

Harry watched them go with a pit of dread in his stomach. He trusted that the Doctor would intend to do his best to keep Martha alive but his good intentions and his best efforts had failed those he was much more invested in then her. What it boiled down to was Harry didn’t trust the Doctor to be able to keep her safe as well as he could, and he didn’t even trust himself completely.

Harry thumped his head back against the door. Two more thuds answered him. Harry looked back behind him. He knew that as long as they were trying for the same that was a good thing but the repetitive thuds were grating.

Down the hall Harry could hear the sound of Judoon and felt like a fool. Since no announcement had been made about their moving up to the higher levels he’d stupidly been thinking they still had a bit of time before worrying about them.

“Is this my luck or the Doctor’s playing out,” he grumbled.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket he shouted over the line, “Martha! Martha!”

“I’m here. I’m here,” she said a bit frantically.

“I have a possible plasmavore about two minutes away from fully regaining consciousness in the room behind me with her two slabs and Judoon on their way.” 

“Oh,” Martha breathed. “Can you go? Can you just go and leave her there. Come around after they’ve gone?”

“The Judoon will recognize the seal as alien tec and deactivate it to get inside,” the Doctor told her.

“So? The slabs will run right into the guys with guns. Become their problem,” Martha pointed out.

Both the Doctor and Harry stayed quiet for a beat.

“Right,” the Doctor said.

“Okay,” Harry breathed.

Moving away from the door he kept it in sight as the Judoon marched ever closer, checking people over as they went. Seeing one of the women slump down the wall he realized another problem he thought would hold off wasn’t willing to wait to suit their time table. Pulling an environmental evaluator out from his upper breast pocket Harry checked the readings compared to human needs and did the math.

“Change of plans,” he told Martha over the phone.

“What?” 

The Doctor and Martha skidded to a stop to listen.

“Change of plans,” Harry said again then went on to explain why. "If the Judoon take much longer there isn’t going to be enough air left. The threat of reporting them to the Shadow Proclamation might not be enough to make them fix it when they are focused on the hunt. You need to get up to the ship and set things up like we said earlier.”

“What ship,” the Doctor asked looking over to Martha but she waved him off to ask Harry, “What about Miss Finnegan and the slabs?”

“Leave that to me. You see to your patients Doctor.”

She looked over at the Doctor with pleading eyes. Nodding he set his questions about this aforementioned ship aside and continued down the corridor pushing the defibrillator cart he’d repurposed along with him.

Smiling Martha took off for the stairs. Quipping she told Harry, “I’m not actually a Doctor yet.”

The Doctor could only just make out Harry’s reply. “Yet.”

Skidding down the halls and past the people sitting down the Doctor could see how right Harry was. Even though he wasn’t feeling the effects yet the humans were. They didn’t have much longer. Being accused of harboring a fugitive wouldn’t matter if no one was left breathing before the declaration could come.

Up ahead Harry was leaning against the wall, watching what was happening around the corner. Running to get to him the Doctor was a bit over enthusiastic and sort of skidded to a stop using Harry as a bumper to crash into.

Harry grunted even as he looked back to see who had collided with him.

Beaming the Doctor greeted, “Hello.”

Glaring Harry hissed, “Why aren’t you with Martha?” However rather than waiting for an answer from him Harry turned his attention to his phone to demand, “Martha?"

“You’re welcome," was her response.

Having closed his eyes Harry seemed to be praying for patience.

And that was something the Doctor really wasn’t used to. Usually when people found out who he was and even when they didn’t know their attention tended to pivot to him. Not these two though. Time and again they ignored him to focus on each other. At first he thought it was simply human infatuation but the longer things went on the more he realized there was nothing simple about either of these two, but Harry in particular. Harry was raising all kinds of flags. He demanded attention because the Doctor could not parcel him out. Martha, she was a human. Smart, loyal, clever, but still human. A cut above the rest perhaps but Harry? If he was human he didn’t fit into the mold the Doctor was familiar with.

Opening his eyes Harry looked down at the cart.

“What have you got,” he asked.

“A modified defibrillator,” the Doctor said. It was a quick bit of sonic work to outfit it. He wasn’t entirely sure it would work. Mostly sure but not entirely. He was probably a tab more eager than he should be to see if it would.

“Right,” Harry said eyeing it. He looked back up to where the Judoon had reached Stoker’s office and discovered the seal. “I guess we see now if we’ll need it.”

Moving in the Doctor tucked himself up against Harry’s back so he could get a good view without making himself seen. Despite that being his intention his attention cut to Harry to see how he would react. Adding yet another abnormality to the collection Harry didn’t seem to care at all about the Doctor being so close. That wasn’t just odd for humans but for many species. Someone you didn’t really know, coming in behind you where you couldn’t see, touching, being close to your throat?

Harry was only a bit shorter than the Doctor. As such he was looking over the man’s shoulder to see around the corner. That put the Doctor’s face and his teeth right where it should have been a problem for most people or a nice thing. A reaction of attraction or excitement was a possibility. Its probably what would happen if Martha was in Harry’s place if the Doctor was reading that right, but Harry wasn’t reacting to the Doctor. It wasn’t like he was too distracted to care. He’d cut a look at the Doctor and shifted his weight to better brace them as the Doctor was leaning on him but that was it.

Frowning the Doctor focused off down the hall to where the Judoon squad was gathered around the door to Stocker’s office.

The first thing the commander thought to try was raising his weapon on the seal and firing which had the Doctor’s frown intensifying. The next thing they tried was multiple attacks at once. When that didn’t work they cautiously moved forward to try simply pushing the button. 

Once deactivated the seal fell to the floor. As soon as it was down the two slabs broke through the door surprising the Judoon and a surprised Judoon was one who’s first inclination was violence. Raising their weapons they fired and the slabs were no more.

“Pity,” Harry said.

“What,” the Doctor asked.

“They might have been repurposed,” he explained.

Smirking the Doctor cut him a look. “Do you have a kink to?”

Without hesitating, Harry jammed his elbow into the Doctor’s jibs. Hard.

Down the hall the Judoon were preparing to march into the office when the plasmavore came wondering out. She didn’t even have to say anything. The Judoon didn’t attempt to question her. They scanned her and when the scan turned up human she was marked and allowed to wonder off. But, a small bit of luck was one there side because rather than heading off on the other side of the Judoon she was coming right for them.

Together Harry and the Doctor pulled back around the corner.

“I should have thought to grab another stunner,” Harry complained which told the Doctor where Martha’s had come from. It was an elegant bit of tec. Retrofitted with a new casing to blend in on Earth, the core design was for field medics in the fifty-ninth century to allow them to defend themselves and their patients without breaking their oaths to do no harm.

Taking a peek the Doctor saw that the plasmavore was almost to them. He also wished they had Martha’s stunner as the defibrillator would be deadly and there wasn’t much else around. For everything his sonic could do it did not work on wood and it could not knock her out.

Harry sighed. “I hate doing things this way.”

Confused the Doctor looked at him but then the plasmavore was coming around the corner. He put on a big smile, ready to play dumb just as she adapted to play her part of harmless old lady but then her attention landed on Harry and she glared. “You.”

Harry didn’t bother to say anything back. Instead he struck rather like a snake. With a few quick jabs he hit her in the throat twice then the chest. With her sufficiently winded he moved in close. From one of his pockets he’d pulled out what looked like a scarf. With a deadly grace he secured it over her nose and mouth. She struggled and fought but Harry was able to hold on until she went limp. She was faking it though and Harry wasn’t fooled.

“Anything in that cart that could speed this up,” he asked. Hearing that she stopping playing dead and started fighting again. Using her motions to his favor Harry worked to move them down the hall and away from the Judoon. Pulling the cart along after them the Doctor looked but before he could come up with something the plasmavore had gone limp for real. 

Still moving with practiced ease Harry moved to sweep her up over his shoulder. Seeming complete unfazed by what he’d just done Harry told the Doctor, “Bring the cart,” before heading off down the hall. 

The Doctor was left in the very rare situation -for him anyway- of being at a complete loss. 

Harry had said he was retired military but that! That wasn’t what the Doctor was expecting. As much as he disapproved of this sort of thing he had to admitted if only to himself that it was impressive. Harry had shown a level of skill that was impressive even if the Doctor couldn’t help but think a little less of him for what it most likely meant.

“The empathy circuit is still on Doctor,” Harry pointed out, his tone guarded, “and you’re projecting rather boldly.”

Shielding his mind better the Doctor apologized, “Sorry.”

“I’m more concerned about you than me,” Harry admitted.

“Why’s that,” the Doctor asked.

“Because the judgment you’re putting on me? That comes from the hate you have for yourself,” Harry looked over at him but the Doctor couldn’t make himself meet the man’s eye. “After your war, did you ever bother with getting therapy?”

The Doctor was thrown by the question. “Who would I get it from,” he asked in return.

Harry focused on ahead down the hall. “All of time and space. I’m sure there is somebody qualified out there. You should look into it, because what you’re holding onto isn’t doing you any good.”

“Hate rarely does,” the Doctor found himself saying because of course he knew, even if he didn’t like to think about it or talk about it, he knew he would always hate the version of himself that fought in the Time War and for all that he might say it needed to be done, he’d never forgive himself for destroying them all.

From up ahead Martha was running toward them. 

“You got her,” she said sounding relieved. She stopped a few yards ahead and let them come to her. Frowning she realized, “But what are we going to do with her now? If she’s assimilated Mister Stoker’s blood how will we get the Judoon to listen to the truth when she’ll pass for human?”

“We’ll give her some blood that isn’t human,” Harry answered.

“You’re not going to let her drink from you are you?”

“That would work but I think we’ll have a hard time convincing her to do it now,” the Doctor pointed out.

“We won’t need to,” Harry assured. Looking to Martha he instructed her, “Run back to the ship. Go to the replicator and look for blood. Anything not of earth will do.”

Realization dawned in Martha’s eyes. “Right,” she said. “Right.” 

Only then she looked at the Doctor and her face became slightly guarded.

“Where will you be? I’ll get the blood and I’ll meet you.”

Harry shook his head. “No time. The Judoon will be coming through soon and we need to be quick. We’ll meet you there.”

“You’re not bringing her on board are you,” Martha asked sounding horrified at the idea for reasons the Doctor didn’t know and he was getting rather tired of not knowing.

“Not on board just outside,” Harry swore.

“Are you sure this is the best idea,” Martha asked but she wasn’t looking at Harry or the plasmavore. She was cutting looks at the Doctor.

“There are worse ways this could go,” Harry said. “Now, run?”

Nodding Martha took off.

The Doctor couldn’t help pointing out, “She doesn’t seem to want me seeing your ship.”

“Yep,” Harry agreed not trying to deny it.

“And why is that?”

“She’s worried.” 

“About what?”

“How you’ll react.”

“And why would she worry about that?”

“Because we currently really don’t have the time for being distracted?”

The Doctor squinted at him. “You’re not going to give me a straight answer are you?”

“Sucks to be on the receiving end for once doesn’t it?” Harry huffed. “Look you’ll know soon enough so why does it matter?”

“Exactly! I’ll know soon enough so why not just tell me.”

“Patience is a virtue,” Harry said playing at a holier than now tone.

“Preparedness keeps you alive,” the Doctor volleyed back.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Harry returned.

“What,” the plasmavore started to say only to be shout by a bolt of energy causing both the Doctor and Harry to startle.

Pulled out of their little back and forth they noticed Martha was back with the blood. It had been her and her stunner which put the plasmavore back under. She looked at them uncertain.

“Was that right,” she asked even as she came forward. “Or did you need her awake.”

“It was brilliant,” Harry said. Moving the plasmavore over to the wall he propped her up there.

“How do we set up the blood,” Martha asked. “Do we need to force feed her?”

Down the hall they could hear the stomping of Judoon troops.

“Oh,” Harry said looking back the way they’d come. Standing he took the blood from Martha only to hand it off to the Doctor. Taking the initiative the Doctor started setting things up but he kept an eye on Harry as he explained, “Martha, I’m sorry and I wouldn’t ask normally, but I don’t want her on the ship so we need a distraction.”

“Anything,” Martha promised. 

Now the Doctor couldn’t help smiling at her for that, but Harry? Harry just looked a little heartbroken. It didn’t stop him asking though, “I want to obscure you, make it harder for them to tell if your human or not. While they’re figuring that out the Doctor and I can finish up here.”

“Got it,” Martha said with determination. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’m sorry about this,” Harry said. “Really truly sorry.”

Just a hint of worry started creeping in on Martha’s face but then Harry took hold of her head. The Doctor thought Harry was about to kiss her. Judging by Martha’s face and how she held her breath she’d been thinking a kiss was coming her way too. Only instead Harry leaned in and licked her from chin to hairline.

“Harry,” Martha screamed in outrage, shoving him off. She tried to reach up to wipe at her face but Harry caught her hand stopping her. With his free hand he pointed at her face and light trail of saliva there. 

“None human DNA,” he explained. Then leaning in he licked over the back of her hand.

Martha shivered though not completely in disgust. Her noise scrunched up as she tried to figure out how to feel about what was happening. 

Letting go of her hand Harry reached up into his hair running his fingers through it to collect stray strands. Once he had them he put them in Martha’s pocket. As he did he explained, "The Judoon are doing a basic general comparison scan of your person. On a first sweep it doesn’t waste the time differentiating between what’s you verses what's on you like clothes or saliva. To check you over properly will take time. If after the second sweep they haven’t figured it out explain what happened and that the plasmavore did it. In fact even if they figure it out on the second seep tell them. They might not listen if you try telling them outright what’s going on but if you give them the clues and let them work it out then maybe they’ll believe it. Hold on, scratch that. Only tell them if you have to. Other than that just get your part done without drawing more attention. Now go."

Despite Harry’s orders and despite everything else Harry was telling her it was something else Martha was hung up on. “But hold on, if the scanner can’t tell why not have licked my coat?”

“Figuring out what’s clothing and what’s you is the first thing the scanner will illuminate. This will take time but you can still wash it off and prove your human if need be,” Harry explained while ushering her along.. “Now-“

“Go, go. Yes, I’m going,” Martha grumbled while taking off.

Turning back to him and his work Harry asked the Doctor, “You have that in hand?”

“I do,” the Doctor assured. He was about 42 seconds from having the blood supply Martha brought pumping both into the plasmavore’s veins and stomachs.

“Great.”

Taking a device of some kind from his pocket Harry began using it to remove the Judoon’s mark from the back of the plasmavore’s hand, something that shouldn’t have been so easy given there was some serious science behind that ink but off it came.

“So, not human,” the Doctor ventured, keeping any and all judgment or accusation out of his voice.

“No, not,” Harry agreed.

“And a time traveler?

“Yes."

Knowing how interbreeding had kicked off in the future the Doctor asked, “Mixed race?”

“No,” Harry denied his face doing a thing the Doctor didn’t understand. Having finished his work he leaned back beside the plasmavore to watch the Doctor. This made it easier for the Doctor to keep one eye on what he was doing and one eye on Harry’s reactions to his questions.

“So you're a time traveling alien who works for unit and is willing to speak for earth?”

“Yes."

“You're not one of my future regenerations are you,” the Doctor asked, almost entirely kidding.

“Definitely not,” Harry replied sounding almost entirely sure, but having seen too much to discount the possibility that maybe somehow that could be which was interesting to the Doctor. Very interesting.

“I speak for the Earth because I’m a citizen of the Earth,” Harry explained unprompted. “I’ve lived here. I’ve grown here. I have citizenship. I may be an immigrant but the Earth is my home. Its people are my people.”

“It seems they’re lucky to have you,” the Doctor said thinking back on Harry’s speech where amongst everything else he’d said the same.

Harry smiled a small smile. “I try. I try my best.”

The Doctor found himself looking back at Harry, staring into his eyes. As he did he felt the same thing he had earlier. A pull drawing him in and something obvious he was missing. He almost thought he had it when Harry looked away down the hall.

“I hope Martha’s okay.”

“She should be,” the Doctor assured as he focused back on the plasmavore. The blood had almost run out. When it was done it should be more than enough to reveal Miss Finnegan for what she was to the Judoon.

When Harry said nothing to that the Doctor looked back up at him. 

Harry was staring off down the hall, his mind a million miles away and his expression one of worry and grief. He looked so much older than his young appearance indicated.

Feeling the Doctor’s eyes on him Harry came back to himself and turned to face him. Smiling in a way that completely fell flat Harry explained, “I think we both have experienced that ‘should be’ is often not enough.”

The Doctor couldn’t crack a joke about that. Not when his mind immediately went to Rose who was taken out of his life and out of his reach just like that. Rose who wouldn’t have him there to drag her into danger any longer and wouldn’t have him to get her out of trouble either.

“No,” the Doctor agreed. “It’s not.”

After that he focused on his work in silence while Harry watched the hall.

The Doctor had just disconnected the plasmavore when the sound of stomping Judoon returned to the air.

“Come on,” Harry ordered dragging the Doctor on but the sound of other foot falls had him turning back after only a few feet. Running ahead of the Judoon with a cleared human mark on her hand was Martha Jones.

The Doctor could see and feel it as relief washed through Harry. Then he was smiling, beaming at Martha and holding a hand out to her. With familiar ease she ran right to Harry and falling into step with her Harry took her hand and they ran.

The Doctor couldn’t help but to stand there watching them for a moment with envy and jealousy brewing in his stomach.

“Doctor,” Harry threw back over his shoulder, and setting aside his feelings the Doctor got himself running, leaving the plasmavore to the Judoon.

Not far up ahead the pair turned a corner disappearing from sight but the Doctor recognized where they were. This was the patients’ lounge and that was the balcony. So why?

And oh he was feeling foolish. A old thick fool he was because of course! Harry didn’t work at the hospital yet he was there, on the moon with them and a spaceship. Where better to disembark from a spaceship onto a hospital than a balcony. He didn’t know how Harry had done it. Maybe a teleport since the Judoon weren’t shielding against that but in the second he was considering it the Doctor felt certain he was gong to turn the corner to find Martha and Harry out on the balcony climbing on board a cloaked ship. As such it was a bit jarring for him to turn the corner and find them waiting on him standing at a door that would seem to lead into a closet next to the balcony.

Looking anxious Harry pulled the door open. He pushed Martha through first while telling the Doctor while, “Come on.”

Wanting to find out what was going on and figuring as was usually the case plowing in head first would be the fastest way, the Doctor followed instructions and went right into the closet that wasn’t a closet. It wasn’t even part of the hospital. It was a Tardis. The Doctor would know a Tardis control room anywhere even if this wasn’t his Tardis which this definitely wasn’t. He would have been able to feel if this was his Tardis, but it was a Tardis. He tried to step back out, to look but Harry was behind coming in from behind, pushing him forward, keeping him in, while making room for himself to come inside and close the door.

Up in front of them by the control console Martha was looking at the Doctor with trepidation. Turning on him the Doctor found Harry was keeping his gaze averted as he passed around the Doctor to head for the console himself.

“Martha, go to surveillance. I left a drone to keep an eye on things. Make sure they haven’t gone pair shaped on us would you,” Harry asked.

Martha looked between him and the Doctor before nodding. Running off she headed deeper into the Tardis.

The Doctor turned his attention back on Harry not knowing what to say. Him, with the gob, the great gob that could always go on talking didn’t know what too say. There was a torrid of questions and accusations competing to surge out and a little shard of hope that he didn’t dare give voice to. After a minute's silence where neither of them said anything his gob won out.

“This is a Tardis,” the Doctor said easing them into the conversation to be had.

“It is,” Harry agreed. He spared the Doctor a look before turning to the console. Adjusting a few settings he brought the various displays around the room to life including a holographic projector the filled the ceiling. On these displays was information, images, and schematics for various Tardis’ though mostly the one they were in. 

“She always been one of a kind but she was originally from a plot of Type 31s but she’s had to modify and evolve so much since then its hard to recognize that,” Harry explained sounding remorseful. The ship crooned at him causing a small smile to form on his face.

And that, right there, made the Doctor want to say they were bonded but to be bounded Harry would have to be a Time Lord and the Doctor could bring himself to indulge that possibility, not when there was a chance it wasn’t true. To give into hope and have it dashed would hurt too much,

“How did you come to have her,” he asked.

Harry turned to the Doctor. Crossing his arms he leaned against the console.

“I tended her as she grew,” he explained. “I’ve been with her from the beginning."

All around them the displays filled with the Tardis’ footage and readings starting from the first moments when it was developed enough for such things and on through the days until maturity. The Time Lord in those images bore a young face that was completely different from Harry's, all but the eyes. The green eyes there were the same green eyes watching the Doctor now, which was suspect, as features didn’t as a rule carry on through regenerations. To keep that feature while everything else changed? That was practically unheard of… except… There was something in the Doctor’s memory he couldn’t quite recall on that subject.

“Who are you,” he asked, needing a name.

“I’m a Time Lord, of Galifray, just like you.”

“Don’t do that,” the Doctor warned. His upper lip pulled up to show his canines as he spoke. “I asked you who you are.”

Harry sighed and his hand flexed. The Doctor could see he was frustrated and debating as to how to proceed. Having decided he spoke. “I don’t know if my name will mean anything to you. From the information Unit I left long before you were born,” he explained but standing up straight he declared himself. “I am The Son.”

The Doctor blinked in disbelief Of all the people to pick for an alias because that couldn’t be right. It couldn’t, the Doctor’s brain insisted even as a bunch of dusty memories from his days at the academy were stirred up for the first time in centuries reminding him what he’d learned about The Son, child of The Other, and the Time Lord which first called for and lead thier peoples studies of other universes. 

Even as he remembered his teacher reminiscing about The Son’s ability to keep the same eyes through his regenerations the Doctor found himself denying, “You can’t be. The Son died.”

Harry’s entire demeanor fell. Taking a step forward he demanded, “Is that what they thought happened? They thought I had died.” And the pain in his voice from that? It seemed genuine but still…

With a tight jaw the Doctor explained as though discussing something academic and not the personal history of the man he was facing, “The Son went through the first door into the void and was lost, never to be heard from again,” he said as simple as that.

Harry’s eyes went distant, his face despondent, “They didn’t get my messages then.”

“Messages,” the Doctor asked, curiously.

Without his eyes refocusing Harry nodded and explained, “The door had been established, the void explored remotely, and it held. It should have continued to hold, but it didn’t.”

His eyes came back to focus on their surroundings. Blinking he turned looking back at the console. He requested, “Show him.” And the Tardis did. Up on the screen was footage from home, from Gallifrey though not anything the Doctor had seen before. He took it in as best he could.

Harry watched as well.

“For all the publicity about Time Lord’s being a legendary race of innovators and progressives we really weren’t, at least not in my time. In my time our society was stuck in its ways and beliefs. If you wanted change you needed undeniable proof to wave under the collective noses of the council and Rassilon. What we had should have been enough, but they kept denying my team the right to send a manned expedition into the void.”

The Doctor took in the footage from what appeared to be a lab where a man with Harry’s eyes argued with the none other than the Rassilon, founder of the Time Lords. They’d viewed him as a hero, something like a god in his youth at the academy but during the time war the gilding had warn away for the Doctor. What he saw underneath repulsed him.

“I begged him,” Harry revealed. “I begged for the right to proceed and he told me no. He told me I was being selfish to risk others lives just to prove myself right. I told him it wasn’t about being right. Then I volunteered to fly the mission myself. He argued that Tardis are meant to be piloted by six and it would be absurd to proceed on my own. I told him I thought I could manage, but he just walked away from me. Three days later he sent word with permission to go ahead as long as my life was the only one I was risking.”

“What happened,” the Doctor asked, still not fully willing to believe but needing to know.

“I did it,” Harry said, matter of factly about supposedly being the first Time Lord to travel outside this universe. 

“I went through and the door crumbled behind us. We waited for it to open again, but it didn’t and then-” Harry shifted and met the Doctor’s eye. “Well let’s just say we learned that the void wasn’t a very apt name for it. It may be a space between universes but it's not without life. There are things in the Darkness and the longer we lingered the more became aware of us until finally something came, hungry enough to take the risk of going after a unknown.”

Readings came up on the displays for something the Doctor had no name for.

"We had no choice but to run. I didn’t have what was needed to make a door from within the void. I needed the way into a universe to already be open. The first one we found, we went through. It was a funny place.”

“How so,” the Doctor asked.

"No planets,” Harry explained. “No space. Just one land that was everything. Dig down through it and you’d come out in the sky. No idea why. I tried figure it out and I couldn’t. Tried figuring plenty of things out about that world and I just couldn’t make sense of it. The moment I thought I was getting close the rules would change.”

Harry was frowning just remembering it.

“There weren’t many people there but those that were weren’t native. They came from other universes as well. They didn’t have many more answers me, but for all our differences there were two things most of us could agree on. We didn’t understand that world and we wanted to go back to one we did. So we gathered them up and left.”

Looking shamed Harry met the Doctor’s eye and confessed, “I saw doorways to our universe, this universe, had been opened, but I didn’t go through it. I’d been doing my research so I could be out there exploring other realities. I wasn’t willing to risk that I’d get back and never be allowed to leave again. So I sent a message back through the door then kept going.”

He looked away and the displays filled with images of Gallifrey. 

“I always intended to come back. Once it was finished. Once I was done. I thought I would just insert myself into back my life. What’s time matter if you can travel through it,” he said looking to the Doctor with a self depreciating smile. “The doors stayed open. I sent out messages with each return to the void about my travels and what I learned. I even started to pick up readings that said other Time Lords were journeying out as well, but I didn’t make contact. I thought if I did I might cement my Time Line. Make it so I couldn’t got back until years after I’d left. But then the doors closed and they didn’t open again. I was ready to come back but there was no way through. I had to make a way and I did but when I got through-“

The images of Gallifrey went away.

“When I got here there was no going back.”

The Doctor knew exactly why that was and he didn’t want to talk about it.

“They closed the door behind you,” he explained instead.

Harry looked at him as he absorbed that. He didn’t seem surprised. With a look of resignation he asked, “Who?”

“You had enemies,” the Doctor said to which Harry nodded. “Those that worried about the influence you had as child of The Other, they put extremists opposed to your research into place to bring down the door and take the blame.”

“Was Rassilon involved,” Harry asked looking beaten and resigned to the killing blow.

The Doctor’s first inclination was to deny it. By all account Rassilon had been like an Uncle to the Son and indeed had sheltered him under the mantle of his power after his father left. But sheltering and entrapping can look rather similar from the outside, accounts can be doctored, and Harry had to have a reason to asked while looking so resigned to a painful answer. The Doctor couldn’t help thinking about the friend he’d once had, a friend he would have sworn would never hurt him, who became one of his greatest enemies. The Master had proven what he was capable of and during the war Rassilon had proven to be capable of far worse.

“It was said that Rassilon anguished over the loss,” The Doctor said and Harry smirked, mockingly.

The Doctor watched him, recognizing the pain in Harry’s face which said as much as he’d like that to be the truth he did not and could not believe it.

“And the messages? No word was ever spoke about them?"

“Not to me.”

Harry nodded. A single tear fell from his eye before he quickly wiped it away. Forcing any further tears back he turned to consider the Doctor.

“You don’t believe me,” Harry observed without judgment.

Holding back tears of his own the Doctor admitted, “I want to.”

“But you’re scared.” Harry lay a hand on the empathy circuit still active around his neck. The Doctor’s eyes cut down to it as a safer place to rest while Harry continued. “You’re afraid to let yourself believe so you’re wrapping up your hope in doubts and suspicion. A defensive measure against the pain you’d go through if it turned out this is a lie.”

The Doctor swallowed.

At a slow measured pass Harry approached him.

Once he was in front of him Harry reached up to removed the empathy circuit and offered it to the Doctor. Cautiously the Doctor accepted it. Bringing out his sonic he checked the device over while Harry waited. Finding it to be exactly as advertised with no hidden traps that he could find the Doctor put his sonic away, and slipped the empathy circuit on.

It was overwhelming. He could feel Harry and the Tardis they were in far more deeply than before as well as the connection between the two. It was so much, almost too much until he could sort out his head to handle it, but while he was doing that Harry reached out. He took the Doctor’s hand and placed it on his chest. Opening his eyes, the Doctor unbidden lifted his other to place it across from the first. Under each of his palms was a beating heart.

“I am the Son, child of the Other. I am a Time Lord of Gallifrey who is a citizen of Earth and I swear to you I mean this planet no harm. I mean you no harm,” Harry declared.

The Doctor couldn’t feel any deception but what he could feel was a desire to be believed, a hope to be accepted, sympathy for the Doctor’s pain, and more with all of it sitting a top an aged bone deep ache of grief and guilt and the desire not to be alone. All of Harry’s feelings were supported by the ship, this Tardis which urged the Doctor to believe because she loved Harry so much. Ultimately the Doctor’s resistance was eroded away by her pleadings because he couldn’t find it in himself to believe anyone who could inspire love so pure could be evil.

He locked eyes with Harry who was looking at him with understanding. The pair of them were both trying to blink back tears.

“I don’t know what more I can do to convince you,” Harry admitted.

His tone apologetic, the Doctor admitted in return, “I can’t trust it. “Not completely, I-“

Harry interrupted his painful attempts to explain. “That’s alright. Trust can’t be forced. If you try, it will fail when tested.” He shrugged. “If you can’t, you can’t.”

There was more that needed saying but the Doctor was spared it by the arrival of a distraction. He could feel a new presence entering the circuit’s range. Looking over Harry’s shoulder he found Martha Jone’s standing in the door way, concerned, hesitant to interrupt, and holding her phone.

As Harry turned to look at her as well she apologized, “I’m sorry but I need a word.”

“It’s alright,” Harry told her moving away from the Doctor for the control console.

For all his kindness and understanding the Doctor could feel Harry’s upset, his disappointments, pain, and doubts. Combined with his own it was just too much. Quietly he reached up to remove the circuit from his neck and placed it hanging hooked in his pocket.

“What’s happened,” Harry asked.

Coming forward to join him Martha explained. “The Judoon discovered Miss Finnegan. Once she realized she wasn’t getting out of it, she confessed and they killed her. They’re all leaving now but they haven’t said anything about sending us back. I called to check in with Unit and they want to know if we will need rescuing after all. They’re worried what happens if the Judoon leave without sending the hospital back. Does the force field go with them?”

“They wouldn’t. Not with the threat of the Shadow proclamation,” Harry consoled but there was a frown on his face. Checking one the displays in front of him he went over the readings. Until something he saw lessened that frown.

“Our girl,” he said petting the console, “has the oxygen supply regulated and there are signs they’re prepping the H2O scoop.”

While the Doctor started over to check out the readings Harry started preparing the ship into flight.

“We’re leaving first,” Martha asked seeming very surprised that Harry would.

“She’s protected against the scoop,” Harry explained. “First sign of it she’ll phase out to let the hospital be taken then she’d be left on the moon! Can’t have that. Now tell Unit to expect the hospital back shortly."

After flipping the final switch to send them off Harry started running for the door. The Doctor was confused as to why the engines weren’t going when they really should be but then he noticed the countdown that had appeared projected onto the casing around the stalk connecting the console up to the ceiling. Above the counter it read, ‘Delayed Take Off Activated. Take Off Will Engage in.’

“Where are you going,” Martha shouted after Harry who was almost out the door.

Calling back he explained, “To make an announcement!"

Martha and the Doctor shared a look before taking off after him. 

As the Doctor made it to the door first he held it open for Martha who was explaining into her phone what was going on. Once she was through he looked back into the Tardis, a piece of home, one of the greatest marvels his people ever created, and even though he’d taken off the empathy circuit he got a clear impression of her sympathy and desire that he close the door so she could dematerialize on schedule. 

Obligingly he pulled the door shut and took after the other two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is all I have written for now. I have an idea where I'd like to go but I don't know if I'll write it or not. Maybe if people want it but in the end its up to my muse and what life permits.


End file.
